One of the Marysville’s oldest former ‘residents’ raised $20,000 towards the Victorian Bushfire Appeal community at Shannons recent Melbourne Motor Show Auction.

The stylish 1927 Packard 426 Roadster that was part of the Marysville Museum Collection formerly housed in one of the township’s few remaining buildings, sold unreserved for $36,000.

However the Packard’s owner – a Melbourne motoring enthusiast who purchased the Marysville Collection more than six months ago – pledged to donate $20,000 of the sale proceeds to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

Other vehicles from the former Marysville Museum Collection to sell at the auction included a fully-restored 1909 Wolseley Siddeley ‘Roi de Belge’ Tourer that brought $75,000, a 1934 British Chevrolet Tray Truck that sold well above pre-auction estimate for $26,500, a 1949 MG TC Special Roadster that went for $18,500, a 1949 Holden 48-215 sedan that sold unreserved for $7,000 and a 1915 Ford Model T ‘Board Runner that brought $4,500.

Plate values fluctuate

Meanwhile, original number plates are still bringing good money but if the Melbourne Motor Show Auction results are an indication, the market is now smaller and more fickle.

The Victorian black and white plate ‘276’ was the top seller of the lots on offer at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, bringing $77,000, followed ‘312’ and 369’ at $63,000 apiece.

However ‘601’ and ‘771’ only brought $41,000 and ‘557’ sold for $40,000. Four-digits plates generally sold for $20-$25,000, topped by ‘1221` that brought $25,200, while five-digit plates hovered around $16,000 – figures that were lower than we would have seen 12 months ago.

An interesting comparison of state values was the Tasmanian black and white enamel plate ‘86’ that sold for just $10,000, while the more recently released Queensland plate ‘06’ made $8,000 and ‘09’ made just $6,500 – all three offered unreserved.